John Healey: One of the key roles of local authorities in responding to climate change is to be innovative in how new development is planned. Today, I am announcing that we have had a very encouraging number of responses from local authorities who want to take forward major new development to the exemplar green standards which we set out in the Eco-towns PPS published in July of this year. This shows how the standards we set are influencing the thinking of local authorities across the country as they consider how to do new development. Possible second wave bids are still at an early stage and will be subject to further, widespread consultation on proposals, before public consultation and local planning approval.
	The Eco-towns PPS sets the highest sustainability standards ever required for new development. One of the key components of the eco-towns concept is to exploit low carbon innovation at community scale with a minimum development over time of around 5,000 homes. It is the scope for a new community or communities to create the opportunity of large scale innovation in how jobs, schools and services are delivered in low carbon ways that will help us pilot new approaches in responding to climate change.
	I am today announcing that we are taking forward nine expressions of interest from local authorities and city regions, covering 14 locations, for support for the further planning and feasibility work which will test whether potential development in these areas could meet the concepts and standards set out in the Eco-towns PPS. They comprise:
	(i) Existing schemes at Shoreham Harbour and Northstowe, where there is now an opportunity and desire to redesign elements of the project to see if it can meet even higher sustainability standards.
	(ii) A total of five authorities and partnerships, covering 10 locations in Taunton (Monkton Heathfield and Corneytrowe), Yeovil, Leeds City Region (Aire Valley, York North West, North Kirklees and Bradford-Shipley Canal Corridor), Coventry and Lincoln (Lincoln area and Gainsborough). In these locations the concepts are still at an early stage but development work under the Eco-towns PPS offers the possibility of creating an outstanding new community providing it is feasible and deliverable.
	(iii) Cornwall, which is already taking forward one of the first eco-towns, and Sheffield city region (Dearne Valley, South Yorkshire) wish to use the eco-towns concept to carry out a broader survey of potential, test alternative options for development and then use the eco-town concept and standards to see if this can be successfully applied to their area.
	The locations and places I am announcing today show how local authorities want to use the eco-town concept and standards in a variety of ways. Developing these projects will be a demanding process requiring good co-operation between central and local partners and the private sector. We will now be taking these proposals forward in more detailed discussion with each authority with a view to providing funding support for more detailed design and to test feasibility, drawing on the £5 million fund for studies which I announced in July. We will be working with partners across Government and the agencies to ensure that infrastructure, environment and sustainability issues are suitable addressed. In all cases these proposals are or are intended to become part of the local plan work being led by the authority and will be subject to the full local planning process.
	I am also keen that this is not just planning work but that we can help communities see some of the potential by funding demonstrator low and zero-carbon exemplar schemes as we currently envisage in the first four eco-towns. To this end I am making available £5 million capital funding to enable authorities to show the type of development that will be possible and my Department will be issuing further advice on this in conjunction with the Homes and Communities Agency.

John Healey: I am today announcing the provisional allocations totalling £135 million for the second year of Housing Planning Delivery Grant (HPDG) (2009-10). HPDG was established in 2007 to reward local authorities for improved delivery of housing and other planning services as part of their strategic, place shaping role and to provide more support to communities and local councils who are actively seeking to deliver new homes. We consulted on changes to the consultation to the distribution mechanism earlier in the year. The decision to review the grant scheme follows our public commitment to monitor the grant in light of changes in economic circumstances.
	The changes to the allocation formula for 2009-10 are:
	An additional reward for those who could demonstrate housebuilder involvement in developing strategic housing land availability assessments (SHLAA); and
	to increase the reward for demonstrating land for having a five year land supply at the expense of having development plan documents in place.
	A copy of the provisional allocations have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyimplementation/planningdeliverygrant.
	A summary of responses and formal government response to the consultation paper will be published with the final allocations in the new year.

Hilary Benn: I am announcing today the outcome of the coastal change pathfinder competition that I launched in June. The following 15 local authorities have been selected as pathfinders to explore new approaches to planning for, and managing, adaptation to coastal change together with their communities, using the £11 million coastal change fund that I announced in June:
	Chichester District Council
	Dorset County Council
	East Riding of Yorkshire Council
	East Sussex County Council
	Great Yarmouth Borough Council
	Hampshire County Council
	Hastings Borough Council
	Lincolnshire County Council
	North Norfolk District Council
	Scarborough Borough Council
	Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
	Somerset County Council
	South Hams District Council
	Tendring District Council
	Waveney District Council
	Between now and spring 2011, these 15 pathfinders will explore a range of approaches to both building capacity and finding practical solutions. These approaches include new ways to engage local communities, helping them to plan for how the coast could change; ways of retaining community vitality by planning for and managing change, for instance through roll-back and buy to let schemes; and capital projects that enable continued enjoyment of changing coastal environments, for example building and maintaining boardwalks and beach infrastructure.
	Further information on how pathfinder bids were assessed together with details of funding allocations and the pathfinder projects is available on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/flooding/ manage/pathfinder/index.htm.
	The pathfinder programme is all about learning and, throughout it, lessons learned will be shared so that other coastal authorities and organisations can benefit.